Before we start, some tips for baking healthy cakes.
Here are some common tips and hacks that we suggest by which you can get a healthier cake as well as perfect:
1. Replace butter/oil with apple sauce
Butter is full of fat. We suggest you replace it with apple sauce against the equal volumes of butter that you have removed. With this, you get a cake with less amount of fat.
2. Reduce sugar
Apple sauce is sweet as well, so you don’t have to put in a lot of sugar. A unit of apple sauce can fulfil one unit of sugar.
3. Replace eggs with ground flax
Flaxseed contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acid and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid.)
Ingredients:
- 8 oz (227g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) or dark choc chip
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter or apple sauce
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (145g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon (18g) cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (6g) of corn starch (corn flour)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C – 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of an 20cm round non-stick springform pan with butter and line the base with a round of parchment paper.
Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a saucepan with the butter/apple sauce over very low heat. Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth, being sure not to burn it. Set aside to cool.
Place egg yolks in the bowl with the sugar, corn starch, and cocoa powder, and beat till creamy. Then, pour the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the bowl and folding gently by hand with a wide spatula. In a separate glass bowl, put the egg whites and whisk till they form soft peaks. Gradually fold the peaked egg whites. Reach down to the bottom of the bowl to lift the dense chocolate mixture because it can sink to the bottom. Try not to over-mix as it will knock the air out of the batter.
Pour batter into a prepared pan and then, place the pan onto a rimmed baking tray. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is puffed and slightly cracked on the surface. It will look dry and feel a bit firm, but trust that it will be tender. Put cake tin on wire rack till cooled completely.
Run a knife around the edges of the pan and gently release the sides. Dust with cocoa and serve with whipped cream if desired or homemade lactose free custard. Best served at room temperature. Wet a knife to slice the cake. This prevents the cake sticking as you slice.